10 Tips on How to Find the Perfect Venue

September 29, 2015

Planning an event is a tough job. So much goes into it - you have to find the right vendors, create the guest list, come up with an event hashtag, stay within your budget - the list goes on and on. Before any of this can happen, though, you must choose the venue. The venue is the basis of the entire event. No event can happen without somewhere to host it. Picking the venue is a stressful task; it sets the tone for the entire event. We have put together a list of 10 tips on how to find the perfect venue for your event.

1.Know your audience:

Think about whom you are planning this event for. Are they a more straitlaced crowd, or can you have a little bit of fun with it? If you are planning an event where a lot of technology industry professionals are around, you have to then pick a venue that can accommodate their needs. If you find a venue that doesn’t have Wi-Fi or you can’t set up any equipment, this may not be the space for you. First think about whom you are planning for, and then come up with the type of venue that would fit their needs.

2. Plug it In:

Nowadays, there are a lot of technical aspects that go on with a venue space. Before committing to a venue, make sure that they have ample amounts of outlets so that your guests have a place to plug in if need be and you have enough outlets to accommodate your technical needs.

3. Accessibility:

Nothing is worse than not being able to find parking. The same concept goes for your event venue. If you are asking a large group of people to come to an event, you should make sure that your attendees will have somewhere to park or at the very least, make sure the venue is accessible to public transportation. You are bound to have more attendees if you make sure to find a venue with easy access.

4. Be Flexible:

As much as we might hate it, things happen that we can’t predict. While you will still need to plan to the fullest extent, make sure that your plans can be changed if it’s needed. Have backup plans for changes in weather or other problems. You’ll be happy you did when weather forecast changes from 75 and sunny to thunderstorms within hours!

5. Stay on Budget:

Venues are usually selected foremost for their cost so this aspect is very important. Before choosing a venue, make a list of absolute essentials you’ll need from the venue and find all the options below your budget. Once finding a suitable venue, don’t be afraid to negotiate prices - it’ll only help with savings in the long run. Requesting a sample invoice from the venue so you can see an itemized list of everything that you’ll be charged for by the venue.

6. Do a Walk Through:

Once you’ve drawn up a shortlist of suitable venues, start visiting them in person. Envision how you want attendees to experience the event. Think about how you feel when you walked into the venue because that is how your guests will feel. Even bringing along a colleague or friend to walk through with you will provide you with an extra set of eyes to notice any details of venue you wouldn’t have caught by yourself. Walking a mile in your guests shoes before you commit to the venue will help you with planning along the way as well.

7. Branding:

If you’re finding a venue to use for a corporate event, make sure one of the questions you ask the venues is regarding branding for your company by using their sources to advertise for the event. This could be done by using a marquee in the front advertising the event or putting signs and the company logo in the venue lobby. If this is a promotional event for your company, you’ll need to find a venue that will support your branding actions.

8. Use Technology:

With the continuing rise of using Internet for communication, websites that serve as a search engines for solely event venues have become very popular. That is what EVENTup’s main purpose is, connecting event planners and venues to help plan the perfect event. Using a resource like this could definitely save time in narrowing down venue options. Other options such as social media could benefit your venue search. Most venues have wide range of social media options and can help you get an idea of the type of events they usually host.

9. Theme/Decor:

If your event has a certain theme then choosing a venue is going to make your search more specific. The layout of the venue has to fit the theme of the event such as black tie formal dinner versus a casual networking cocktail event. You’ll need to ask the venues questions regarding your desired style and seating arrangement during the search process so you won’t get stuck with an unsuitable venue for your theme in the end.

10. Will My Attendees Fit?:

Probably the most important factor to take into consideration is that amount of people you’ll be hosting at your event. You don’t want to pick a small venue that ends up being overcrowded and makes your guests uncomfortable. You’ll need to find a venue to accommodate guest whether it is a seated dinner event or a standing cocktail event. Knowing a rough estimate of the number of guests before choosing the venue will make decisions a lot easier. Bonus tip - make sure there are four accessible bathrooms for every 100 people attending.